Singlespeed & Fixed Gear - I am so incredibly confused by this product.

gg

Will it attach to my white belt?

i'm not getting it either. meh. i've got 3 flashy clip on lights. i can clip them nearly anywhere on me/the bike/my bag/my backpack/panniers and take them off again pretty d@mn quick and easy. with the added bonus of...... they actually flash, and might possibly let a car see me and not hit me. whodathunkit?

wow, that is possibly one of the stupidest things i have ever seen.

gg

or trying to make a bit of money off the clueless.

that **** rules... crustpunxisbixe style! buttflaps for your bike! oi oi!
http://image.blog.livedoor.jp/kurodayokuro/eab933be.JPG

I'm guessing what they are using is 3M reflective material. One of my motorcycle riding suits has a strip across the entire back. Whenever I come across another rider that has something similar I swear I can see the reflection for a good 1/3 mile. the material really does an excellent job reflecting.

Now as far as not understanding the product, this could be a great solution to those that want to be aid in being visible without having to carry spare batteries and/dispose of old ones. However I would saw that probably the best way to use the product is in conjuction with blinkies, not as a subsitute. If one extra car saw you that might not have then it's worth it.

I mean...seriously. (http://www.chicagowig.com/)

I spotted them being sold on chicago craigslist for $15 each.

What is 'wig?' How is this any more 'fashionable' than a reflector or more visable than a blinky light? WHAT AM I NOT GETTING?

$15USD?? pretty crazy, considering i can buy, for example, 16 of THESE (http://www.mec.ca/Products/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524441956507&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302693017&bmUID=1134377244333) for $5CDN.

or THIS (http://www.mec.ca/Products/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524441955627&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302693017&bmUID=1134377550636) for $3CDN.

then, add THIS (http://www.mec.ca/Products/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524441777661&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302692895&bmUID=1134377649507) and THIS (http://www.mec.ca/Products/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524441774359&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302692895&bmUID=1134381690634), and you would then have a front AND back light AND reflector for $13.75CDN.

C'mon guys . . . we aught to feel bad for them . . . I mean they spent all that time & effort putting together a website and all, while they could have been riding. I pity them (but not enough to by there reflector/patch thingy)

P.S. I would never rely on reflectors alone to be seen at night. That'd be ridiculous IMO.

buy a fedex jacket.

Don't forget their chainskins, now - http://www.chicagowig.com/chainskinpage.html

I kind of like this, just because of the reflective material. My Krypto cover is falling to bits and starting to scratch my frame, so maybe I'd be in the market for summit like this.

But the reflector are a wee bit silly. The intent is good, 'cause in the winter time we could all use a little more visibility, but the end product just seems off, but I'd like to see one in person before totally dissing it.

Now as far as not understanding the product, this could be a great solution to those that want to be aid in being visible without having to carry spare batteries and/dispose of old ones. However I would saw that probably the best way to use the product is in conjuction with blinkies, not as a subsitute. If one extra car saw you that might not have then it's worth it.

i would agree with you, but rear lights last a pretty long time, and you can always get rechargeables

How is this any more 'fashionable' than a reflector or more visable than a blinky light? WHAT AM I NOT GETTING?

these things are sooo ugly and tacky, they are sooo expensive and they actualy make you like kinda poor (maybe that's just my thinking), it's super ghetto! haha

These lights (http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?category=101&subcategory=1068&brand=&sku=7629&storetype=&estoreid=&pagename=) look a LOT better than this ugly ass flap. and this light (http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?category=101&subcategory=1068&brand=&sku=9979&storetype=&estoreid=&pagename=) come on and off faster than that flap and it looks good

C'mon guys . . . we aught to feel bad for them . . . I mean they spent all that time & effort putting together a website and all, while they could have been riding. I pity them (but not enough to by there reflector/patch thingy)

P.S. I would never rely on reflectors alone to be seen at night. That'd be ridiculous IMO.

i hope we're all familiar with sheldon's "Why Reflectors Don't Work" (http://sheldonbrown.com/reflectors.html) article.

i think it's funny how they wanted to keep their fixies looking slick while steel being seen. what they ended up doing is charging more than the price of a light for an ugly patch that doesn't do you much good against cars without headlights... or as Officer Wiggum calls them "Ghost Cars". ive seen too many people forgetting to turn their lights on to rely on reflectors.

http://www.jeverszeugen.de/freunde/wiggum.jpg

I suggest one of these (http://www.mec.ca/Products/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524442588127&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302692895&bmUID=1134386299728) and one of these (http://www.mec.ca/Products/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524442588131&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374302692895&bmUID=1134386299729). I use both... have two pairs, one pair in my bag and one in my pocket. This way you can look fly on your ride when you want to and not like a complete ass online when you try and solve a problem which never really existed.

Don't forget their chainskins, now - http://www.chicagowig.com/chainskinpage.html

I kind of like this, just because of the reflective material. My Krypto cover is falling to bits and starting to scratch my frame, so maybe I'd be in the market for summit like this.

But the reflector are a wee bit silly. The intent is good, 'cause in the winter time we could all use a little more visibility, but the end product just seems off, but I'd like to see one in person before totally dissing it.

What fixedpip said.

You've got to cover your chain, why not do it w/ something reflective?

Why not make everything refllective?

Sheldon's article has good points and we should all think about how reflectors work.

I use pedel reflectors and spoke reflectors because they work.

We should strive to make being visible part of the cycling culture. It's tough enough out there. No need to make it tougher by making yourself less viistble.

Can't being visible be kool?

The WIG folks seem to be a lot closer to us culturally than say SUV drivers. Why not cut them a little slack?

Neophobia: Fear of anything new, of innovation, an irrational fear of new situations, places, or things. In animal behavior, neophobia refers to the tendency of an animal to avoid or retreat from an unfamiliar object or situation.

All phobias are unreasonable sorts of fear that can cause avoidance and panic. They represent a relatively common type of anxiety disorder. Phobias can be treated with cognitive behavioral therapy using exposure and fear reduction techniques.

The page about the creation of the WIG brand is priceless though. I can just imagine how that conversation went.

#1: wow I can't believe we almost got doored by that guy... it's like he didn't even see us!

ZOOOOOOOOOM

#2: F*ckin Cabbies... no respect I tell yah... It's like they wanna hit us cause they're jealous of how sweet our bikes look

#1: I know... It's like she never even saw us... weird!

#2: I just wish there was some way to make out bikes more, uh, hmmm, reflective? yeah that's it. You know without sacrificing how frickin sweet they look... It's not like I just rolled this pista out of the store... I had to take off all those reflectors to get this fresh ride.

#1: You know you'd think the contrast between our white belts and black jeans and hoodies would have made us more visible... like they didn't even see us... *shakes head*

Sorry that's probably overly critical... but when I read that page I had laugh to myself a bit...

"Unfortunately, this collective act of rebellion became the main link to most of our misfortunes on the mean streets. 90% of all our accidents could've been avoided if we had been seen."

What fixedpip said.

You've got to cover your chain, why not do it w/ something reflective?

Why not make everything refllective?

Sheldon's article has good points and we should all think about how reflectors work.

I use pedel reflectors and spoke reflectors because they work.

We should strive to make being visible part of the cycling culture. It's tough enough out there. No need to make it tougher by making yourself less viistble.

Can't being visible be kool?

The WIG folks seem to be a lot closer to us culturally than say SUV drivers. Why not cut them a little slack?

Neophobia: Fear of anything new, of innovation, an irrational fear of new situations, places, or things. In animal behavior, neophobia refers to the tendency of an animal to avoid or retreat from an unfamiliar object or situation.

All phobias are unreasonable sorts of fear that can cause avoidance and panic. They represent a relatively common type of anxiety disorder. Phobias can be treated with cognitive behavioral therapy using exposure and fear reduction techniques.

good point, now i feel like a jerk :(

i wouldn't say we're neophobic though, this just seems like a pretty expensive dumb idea. it's like all those dumb inventions you see on tv. we ignore them and then one of them happens to be fixed-gear related! what else are we supposed to do? it's almost like they were asking for it

HAHAHAHA

"THE SHINER IS A REMOVABLE REFLECTOR. SMALL ENOUGH TO FIT IN YOUR BACK POCKET AND BIG ENOUGH TO LET A CAR 1000’ AWAY KNOW THAT YOUR THERE."

if only they made small inexpensive little LED lights that fit in your pocket..... until that day comes we should all thank god for blessing us with WIG.

WIG WIG WIG WIG!

You've got to cover your chain, why not do it w/ something reflective?

Why not make everything refllective?

sure, the chain cover is somewhat innovative, but charging $15USD for a reflector is ridiculous! i do not think everyone has qualms with being "reflective".


Can't being visible be kool?

The WIG folks seem to be a lot closer to us culturally than say SUV drivers. Why not cut them a little slack?

yes, being visible is "kool", but charging $15USD for a reflector is NOT "kool". just because someone is "closer to us culturally" does not mean they are offering a well-designed product and does not oblige anyone to "cut them a little slack". i do not mind paying extra for innovation, locally-produced/designed goods or for any other of many positive attributes of a well-designed product, but, aside from the chain cover, they are simply offering an over-priced reflector! they would be better off expending less effort on the kool factor and more effort on conceiving new and interesting ideas/products.

one of the arm/leg bands i linked to above was $3CDN; for $15USD i could buy one for each appendage, one for my neck and another to hang from my bag or bike. 6 REFLECTORS to make sure i am visible from 1000' away! or, as noted, i could get front/rear lights AND reflector.

really, other than if i were helping to support some friends, WHY would i buy the WIG?? the cats producing it may be genuinely cool and positive people, it is just the product is not.


Neophobia: Fear of anything new, of innovation, an irrational fear of new situations, places, or things. In animal behavior, neophobia refers to the tendency of an animal to avoid or retreat from an unfamiliar object or situation.

All phobias are unreasonable sorts of fear that can cause avoidance and panic. They represent a relatively common type of anxiety disorder. Phobias can be treated with cognitive behavioral therapy using exposure and fear reduction techniques.

it is good that even if any of us did have a 'neophobia', the old skool reflector being offered lacks any significant design changes to warrant a description of 'new'. well, the old skool reflector is being sold with a new school price, so maybe that IS what is causing such a rash of fear...

Man, what a nice ass website for a ****e-ass product.

3M reflectice tape on your bag + properly lit bike = miles of night time goodness

I couldn't read that site. I never made it past the first picture. Told me all I neede to know. There's been a lot of that lately.

You can get a meter of the 3M reflective tape they're using on ebay for about a dollar... that plus some Cordura + sewing machine = new chainskin. I'm planning on re-skinning mine when it gets more shot than it is now.

The tape-on reflector is just sort of doofy.

http://www.chicagowig.com/shinertext-2.gif

Glad they clarified the color scheme option.

Now I know what happens to those who can't draw the pirate.

and the spelling/grammar is atrocious! if they want to sell a product (even a poorly-designed one!), get the copy proofed before going online. even MS-word would produce better results for a spell-/grammar-check. in that short blurb, i noted at least 10 errors, before i ran out of fingers and thumbs!

i really hope it is a well-crafted joke...

if only they made small inexpensive little LED lights that fit in your pocket..... until that day comes we should all thank god for blessing us with WIG.


Check out jedisteve's post above. The LED turtles MEC sells rock. I have them set up to flash to the sides

those wig things are pretty cool - made right here by some kids in chicago.

[165] rocks on of the krypto chain covers - same material. loooks good as ****, and is very reflective. the little "tags" are a smidge weird, but the chain covers are ace.

You can have a "clean" looking bike in the day time and carry your reflectors in your bag. Then you can attach them when it gets dark. That's about it.

I wonder if there is any substantial market for that.

It's called " let's make a product because we can, never mind if anyone will buy them."

Or " I like them so everyone else will"

The chainskin is a good idea.

gg

I like their font. But I don't understand why they're allowed to live.

i got a sh!tload of blinking jagermeister lights with little clips on the back. free from distributor.

Again, no dig on the people, just a dig on a poorly executed product.

i DO dig the 3M reflective material and some of its deceptively simple, yet highly innovative, uses. as an avid backcountry hiker, i applaud the designer who first added 3M yarn to tent guylines! (http://www.rei.com/product/3791.htm) brilliant idea...and fewer tent stakes pulled during late-night calls of nature! and, the guyline rope is strong enough to hang food...how satisfying it is to be able to find your food cache afterhours.

Don't forget their chainskins, now - http://www.chicagowig.com/chainskinpage.html

I kind of like this, just because of the reflective material. My Krypto cover is falling to bits and starting to scratch my frame, so maybe I'd be in the market for summit like this.

But the reflector are a wee bit silly. The intent is good, 'cause in the winter time we could all use a little more visibility, but the end product just seems off, but I'd like to see one in person before totally dissing it.
I have one of these - glad I do too. One more thing to make me seen out here in the blind-ass suburbs.

if they want to sell a product (even a poorly-designed one!)

what design? it's a piece of cloth with reflective tape. hehe i do hope it's a joke. and again the reflective chain skin is cool, but it's still not enough

http://www.chicagowig.com/crationtext-1.gif

With quality control like that, it must be good!

jesus! who gives a ****. they make a flap - they make a lock chain cover. if you don't want it, don't buy it. remember that there are people out in the world who will buy a goddamn bottle opener than has homer simpson saying "mmmm, beer" when you open a bottle. people will buy anything.

more power to the folks making ****. the chain covers are sweet.

I saw someone yesterday who had red LED's in the endcaps of their handlebars, made for a nice pair of rear lights. I thought it was pretty ingeneous, and I'd love to get a pair. Anyone know if their an actuall product or a homebrew thing?

yea.. my first thought was that it was a crustpunk butflap for you bike..

http://www.performancebike.com/shop/profile.cfm?SKU=17651&subcategory_ID=4322

bar end light.

I saw someone yesterday who had red LED's in the endcaps of their handlebars, made for a nice pair of rear lights. [...] Anyone know if their an actuall product or a homebrew thing?

"in the endcaps of their handlebars" -- this is a correct use of "their," a possessive.

"anyone know if their an actuall product of a homebrew thing?" -- you mean to say "if they are," that is, "they're." the possessive, in this case, is wrong.

grammar moderator up in here. i figure that there is a lot of moderation for profanity and poor usage is pretty profane. there you have it.

grammar nazi. I just woke up, cut me some slack.

I don't think we're allowed to talk about Nazis on this board anymore.

gg

heh. the day i cant talk about nazis on the internet... well, ill proofread my posts next time, i promise. i also misspelled actual, now that i look at it.

much appreciated.

My favorite is the picture of the bike locked to a pole with a ulock wrapped in the reflector. In case a car swerves off the road, it can avoid your locked up bike and hit something else.

grammar moderator up in here. i figure that there is a lot of moderation for profanity and poor usage is pretty profane. there you have it.

Under whose domain does capitalization fall?

yah, the guy that desiged or makes these or whatever posted a link at the OST message board awhile ago asking for opinions. the people that responded generally hd the same question, which is: why? it's not really an attractive product and frankly a little blinky light seems much better. like the little turtle lights you can get now that you can hang off a key ring, or strap to your bars or whatever with the little elastic loop they have. just don't leave them on your bike when you go to home depot or some jackass will gank them while you're shopping. it's a three dollar light ferchrissakes! go buy your own!